Tate exhibition looks back on Van Gogh's early years in London

A new exhibition, dedicated to Vincent Van Gogh, shows how the Dutch painter was influenced by British art, literature and culture during a three-year stay in London at the start of his career.

Staff members look at 'Self-Portrait' (1889) by Vincent van Gogh during the preview for the upcoming Van Gogh and Britain exhibition at Tate Britain, London. (March 25, 2019)
AP

Staff members look at 'Self-Portrait' (1889) by Vincent van Gogh during the preview for the upcoming Van Gogh and Britain exhibition at Tate Britain, London. (March 25, 2019)

Vincent Van Gogh left behind just one painting of a British scene, but a new exhibition shows that London was a big influence on the Dutch artist.

The exhibition at Tate Britain charts the time Van Gogh spent in the city as a young man between 1873 and 1876. In London, he worked as an apprentice art dealer, read the novels of Charles Dickens and sketched the River Thames at dusk.

Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson said Monday that Van Gogh hadn't started painting yet but "the idea was sown then, while in London."

AP

Visitors look at 'Starry Night' (1888) by Vincent van Gogh during the preview for the upcoming Van Gogh and Britain exhibition at Tate Britain. (March 25, 2019)

The exhibition, which opens Wednesday and runs until August 11, includes some of Van Gogh's best-known paintings, including "Starry Night Over The Rhone" and "Sunflowers."

His only surviving piece featuring London, 1890's "Prisoners Exercising", also is in the exhibit.

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